Mounting device for automatic guns



April 23, 1968 L. ZURBUCHEN 7 MOUNTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed July 29, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 L 014/5 Z urbuc/v /1 April 23, 1968 L. ZURBUCHEN 3,379,098

MOUNTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed July 29, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m In ve/ffor Mad m fiffor/ ys April 23, 1968 ZURBUCHEN 3,379,098

MOUNTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed July 29, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ill in V's/1761 L cells ZurbuC/veh United States Patent M 3,379,098 MOUNTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Louis Zurbuchen, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Oerlikon Buhrle Holding Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland Filed July 29, 1966, Ser. No. 568,853 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Aug. 5, 1965, 11,032/ 65 9 Claims. (Cl. 89-40) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mounting devince for an automatic gun having a portion free to recoil to a limited extent with respect to the mounting comprising two sliders arranged one behind the other and parallel to the gun axis along which the recoiling portion slides. Two pivots fixed on the same side of the mounting each carry one of the sliders. The recuperator and non-recoiling portions of the gun are also carried by the sliders.

This invention relates to a mounting device for automatic guns wherein the portion free to recoil in relation to a mounting moves along two sliders, whereby the gun as a whole, with the sliders mounted on it slidable to a limited extent and secured through a pivot to the mounting, is removable from the latter.

In known arrangements of this kind, the gun moves along two parallel sliders, consisting of sleeves, the axes of which run parallel to the gun. The sliders have a common cross-piece, through the pivots of which they are connected to a mounting. This has the disadvantage that the sliders must extend over a relatively great length, as with small sliders vibrations would occur which would very adversely affect the firing accuracy of the gun. Long sliders, however, involve an unwanted increase in weight.

A further disadvantage of the known arrangement is that the sliders are secured to the mounting with a single pivot, which is likewise not able completely to absorb the vibrations occurring during continuous fire. It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above disadvantages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein two sliders are arranged one behind the other in the direction of the gun axis, and spaced out, and wherein one of said sliders is carried by a pivot and the other of said sliders is carried by a further pivot with the pivots fixed on the same side of the mounting.

A still further object is to provide a construction wherein the portion free to recoil in relation to a mounting moves along two sliders, whereby the gun as a whole, with the sliders mounted on it is slidable to a limited extent and is secured through a pivot to the mounting so as to be removable from the latter. A non-recoiling portion of the weapon is hinged to one slider, while it can be locked to the other slider. This has the advantage that the weapon has a nonrecoiling part which, for example, has ammunition feed components.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the detailed description below, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatical side view of an armored fighting vehicle.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatical front View of such vehicle.

FIGURE 3 is a portion of a weapon carried by such vehicle shown partially in side view and partially in longitudinal section taken upon section line IIIIII of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 3.

Patented Apr. 23, 1968 FIGURE 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken through the recoil spring system on section line III-III of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view with parts in elevation taken upon section line VIVI of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view taken on section line VIIVII of FIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on section line VIII-VIII of FIGURE 3.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, an armored fighting vehicle turret 1, is rotatable about vertical axis 50. On each side of the turret 1, there is arranged an automatic gun 2, elevating about an axis 51, fixed in the revolving rings 4 supported in the rings 3 and connected to the turret 1 as follows. Each of the revolving rings 4 carries a bracket 41 to which is connected a toothed segment 5 mating with a driving pinion 6, serving to elevate the gun.

As FIGURES 3, 4, 6 and 8 show, on the bracket 41 are, moreover, welded two sleeves 7, into which the pivots and 81 are inserted and the pivot 81 has a part 84 which is displaced radially in relation to the pivot 81, so that it forms an eccentric.

The pivots 80 and 81 are each secured by a tap bolt 93. The latter passes through a longitudinal hole 92 in the pivot and is screwed into a conical plug 91 which fits into a conical mouth of a bushed hole in a sleeve 90. By screwing up the tap bolts 93, the pivots with their ring 83 are drawn against the bushings 7 and secured. Locking screws 94 secure the tap bolts 93 against slackening. Each ring 83 of the pivots is provided with two flats 95 on the circumference, by means of which the pivots can be rotated by a spanner.

Sliders 10 and 24 are fitted over the pivots 80 and 81, which have lateral guide grooves 101 into which guide ribs 111 on the breech casing 11 engage. Bolts 12 are inserted in holes in the sliders 10 and 24, which engage in the grooves 82 in the pivots 80 and 81 and hence form the securing bolts 103 and 104 for the sliders 10 and 24. On the front slider 10, there is pivoted by means of a bolt 25 the hinged cover 13, carrying the ammunition feed components, not shown in further detail, which can be held locked by a bar 15 passing through a hole in the rear slider 24, which can be withdrawn by a lever 14.

In accordance with FIGURES 3 and 5, in the slider 10 there is secured by a bolt 16 a bushing 17 of a recuperator device 100, projecting into a recess 102 in the slider, which bushing projects into another bushing 18, arranged coaxially with the former. At the front end of the bushing 18 is a collar 96, secured to it by a pin 97. A rod 19 slides in the bushing 17 and is provided with a screw thread 98 at one end, by means of which it is secured with the nut 99 to the collar 96. A ring spring 20 is arranged in the hollow space between the inside wall of the bushing 18 and the outside wall of the bushing 17, whereby the spring ends abut against the shoulders 171, 181 shown. Under the action of the ring spring 20, a shoulder 182 of the bushing 18 is held against the rear face 221, forming a stop, of a jacket-shaped part 22 of a bushing 21 secured to the breech casing by the pin 52. On the rod 19 are arranged, coaxially with the ring spring 20, the components of another ring spring 23, which abut on the one hand against a shoulder 191 on the rod 19 and on the other against the base of the bushing 17. The common axis of the ring springs 20 and 23 is located in the plane of the pivot axes and constitutes a recoil system of the type described in Swiss Patent No. 349,192.

The operation of the gun mounting is as follows:

As a result of the engagement of the breech casing guide ribs 111 in the grooves 101 of the sliders 10 and 24, which latter carries the cover which carries the ammunition feed device, the breech casing 11 is suspended from these sliders and is guided by them during the recoil movements caused by the shots, braked by the resultant force of the two ring springs 24 23.

Thus a mounting device for a recoiling weapon is produced in a simple manner, with which the device for ammunition feed does not take part in the recoil movements of the weapon. Actuating the pivot locking device sufiices for changing the barrel.

As the ring springs 29 and 23 lie with their common axis in the plane of the axes of the pivot 80 and the pivot component 84, the resultant force of the two ring springs during the recoil movements of the weapon does not produce any turning moment at the pivots.

The pivot 81 is constructed as an eccentric, so that by rotating the pivot in its sleeve, it is possible to adjust the gun in elevation.

I claim:

1. A mounting device for an automatic gun having a portion free to recoil with relation to the mounting comprising two sliders along which said portion moves so that the entire gun is slidable on said sliders to a limited extent, a first pivot removable from said mounting securing said gun to said mounting, a second pivot on said mounting, said two sliders being arranged one behind the other in the direction of the gun axis and along the gun axis and spaced from said mounting, one of said sliders being carried by said first pivot and the other of said sliders being carried by said second pivot, said pivots being fixed at the same side of the mounting.

2. A mounting device as set forth in claim 1 wherein a recuperator device is supported on one of said sliders and the axis of said recupcrator device is secured by a bolt to said first slider.

3. A mounting device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gun is mounted suspended in said sliders.

4. A mounting device as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of the pivots forms an eccentric rotatable in said mounting.

5. A mounting device for an automatic gun having a portion free to recoil with relation to the mounting comprising a first and second slider along which said portion moves so that the entire gun is slidable on said sliders to a limited extent, a first pivot removable from said mounting securing said gun to said mounting, a second pivot on said mounting, said two sliders being arranged one behind the other in the direction of the gun axis and spaced from said mounting, said first slider being carried by said first pivot and said second slider being carried by said second pivot, said pivots being fixed at the same side of the mounting, the non-recoiling portion of said weapon being hinged to said first slider and means for locking said nonrecoiling portion to said second slider.

6. A mounting device as set forth in claim 5 wherein a recuperator device is supported on one of said sliders and the axis of said recuperator device is secured by a bolt to said first slider.

7. A mounting device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said gun is mounted suspended in said sliders.

8. A mounting device as set forth in claim 5 wherein one of said pivots forms an eccentric rotatable in said mounting and said locking means yieldingly locks said slider with said non-recoiiing portion.

9. A mounting device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sliders are secured to said pivots by securing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,948,497 2/1934 Barnes 8937 2,364,509 12/1944 Bertran et a1. 2,537,419 1/1951 Peterson 8937.5 3,126,791 3/1964 Chiabrandy 8937.5 X

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

